Trump has pledged to marshal federal government talent and resources to address the opioid crisis, but nearly a year after his inauguration, the drug policy office, known as ONDCP, lacks a permanent director. At least seven of his administration’s appointees have departed, office spokesman William Eason said. Among them was the general counsel and acting chief of staff, some of whose duties were assumed by Weyeneth, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

[…]

The official, who agreed to speak only on the condition of anonymity, said that Weyeneth has been primarily performing administrative work, rather than making policy decisions, and that he had “assumed additional duties and an additional title following staff openings.”

One might almost think that the White House and Republican Party really aren’t interested in addressing the opioid crisis at all. (One might have been thinking that ever since it was revealed that Republicans like Tennessee’s Marsha Blackburn dismantled DEA oversight of drug companies at the height of the opioid epidemic. But I digress ….)

Young Weyeneth is an interesting character. Apparently his family owned a health food business that processed chia seeds and somehow got involved in an illegal Chinese steroid scam:

In the summer and fall of 2011, the firm was secretly processing illegal steroids from China as part of a conspiracy involving people from Virginia, California and elsewhere in the United States and one person in China, federal court records show. Weyeneth’s stepfather, Matthew Greacen, pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy charge last year and received two years probation and a fine.

Why is there always something fishy with everyone associated with Trump? Something involving prison time or federal charges? Even more bizarrely, Matthew Greacen is apparently a cousin of actor Alec Baldwin, who wrote the judge in this case on Greacen’s behalf. Just can’t make this shit up.

All of this is a sidebar to our story’s main point, which is that Trump and the Republican Party really don’t care about the opioid epidemic at all. That this is an epidemic perpetrated on the American people by pharmaceutical companies which profit handsomely from an addicted populace is, I’m sure, purely coincidental.

7 responses to “He Hires The Best People”

Everyone who supports and voted for trump is addicted to something. They all wanted him in office to facilitate their addiction. Some are addicted to hate and fear while some are just addicted to ignorance and superstition. Then there is the whole aspect of holding on to their “way of life” and they will kill anyone or destroy the planet to have that way of life and “to hell with the next generation. So, it is no surprise that pharmaceutical companies, with the help of doctors, are killing people for their addiction; wealth. Hmm, maybe it should be called wealth care.

I would rather not see you at all, Jimbo(B). You’re an obvious and not particularly entertaining troll. Check that, you have no entertainment value. You come here to gloat–that is also pretty obvious. You’re happier than a pig in shit with what’s going on in both D.C. and your own state lege since it means you can make another buck and weasel out of having any responsibility by preaching your prosperity gospel.

Last year in my great state of Ohio, Senator Rob Portman ran for re-election. I waited for the chance for him to answer for his horrible policies, for his signature on Sen Cotton’s treasonous letter for ANYTHING he said and voted on. Nope. His first speech he said he wanted to focus on the opioid crisis. And so, everybody in the media and even the opposition party spoke only of the opioid crisis. Free pass for Portman who now claims his re-election is an endorsement for his horrible policies and the opioid crisis is back off the action points being the total red herring it always was.